Anna Sultana's Brodu tac-Canga - Meat Soup, Maltese Style

On Saturday we got back to Lent.  

I posted Carmela Soprano's Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad.

I find it a little hard to believe Tony ate many salads.



Well, maybe he did during Lent.

Not Janice.  No way.

Meadow, for sure.



Back to Lent, Maltese style.

We had more soups than salads.

The water did wonders to kill the hunger pangs.



Hey, we were on an island.

Water, water,

Sisters, Sisters - Being 60 (week 47 - by Margaret Ullrich)

In the classic Christmas film White Christmas Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen sang a duet about being sisters.



Even Bing and Danny sang it, but that's another story.

Don't even think it.

We're talking Irving Berlin.

He didn't even think it.



The thing about the song was that sisters are close, up to a point.

Well, duh.





Even that country music icon, Loretta Lynn, had a sister issue.

Carmela Soprano's Green Bean, Potato and Red Onion Salad

Did you get compliments for making Carmela Soprano's Cream Puffs?

Did folks say "Oh, you shouldn't have?"

Good.

A little guilt, when your guest or the family has it, is a good thing.





Okay... speaking of guilt, it is still Lent and we should eat simply.



In the Welcome to the Family chapter of Carmela's Entertaining with The Sopranos, Carmela throws together a Green Bean, Potato and Red

Anna Sultana's Hot Cross Buns

Last Sunday I wrote about the Catholic Church customs that ruled our meals 

during Lent.  



Hot Cross Buns are a Maltese Lent staple.

Yes, they are.



Okay, it's originally an English recipe.

But the English had been in Malta since the time of Napoleon.

Thanks to Napoleon, I was born a British subject.

Long story.  Google 'Malta'.

Even though Malta became independent in 1964, some

The Stork from Ireland - Being 60 (week 46 - by Margaret Ullrich)

Last week I had a few thoughts about my 61st birthday coming in a few weeks.This time of year I think about birthdays.Family birthdays.
When I was born, it was pretty simple for my parents.I was born at home.In the same bed in which I was conceived.Hey, they didn't do kinky.The doctor came to the house.That's just what they did in Malta in 1950.

Five years later, Ma was pregnant again.This time

Carmela Soprano's Cream Puffs / Baked Sfingi and Ricotta Cream Filling

Time flies.  

Last year I posted Carmela's Sfingi recipe since it's traditional to make them for the feast of St. Joseph, March 19, in both Italy and Malta. 



Ahh, Tradition.  

Gotta love it. 



Okay... I'm trying to get through her cookbook, so I'm not going to repeat it here.  

Just click on Sfingi above and you'll see what I wrote.





In The Final Celebration chapter of Carmela's

NY Daily News' Irish Soda Bread - Margaret Ullrich

Okay... tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day and you want something easy - and cheap - to mark the occasion.



Irish Soda Bread goes well with a corned beef and cabbage dinner, or anything else.  



And the cops will love you.  



Here's the Irish Soda Bread recipe that I clipped from The New York Daily News fifty years ago.  

Absolutely Hobbit free.  





                        IRISH SODA BREAD

Don't Tell Me About St. Patrick (part 2 - by Margaret Ullrich)

There's lots of stuff about Ireland on the internet.  

Did you know that corned beef is not the national dish?  It was eaten as a last resort during hard times.  

Irish coffee was the invention of the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.  

When Irish Eyes are Smiling is an American song.  

And many Irish people consider green to be an unlucky color.

    

Finally I found The Traditional Irish

Don't Tell Me About St. Patrick (part 1 - by Margaret Ullrich)

Remember how we were all gaga about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?  



I mean, even if you didn't know enough Astrology to know your own sign - let alone what house you were mooning - you couldn't avoid Hair, the song, play or movie.  And everybody saw the 5th Dimension on the Ed Sullivan Show.  Remember how they just stood there, swaying and singing When the moon is in the seventh house

Anna Sultana's Soppa tal Kirxa - Tripe Soup, Maltese Style

On Saturday I posted Carmela Soprano's Italian Tuna Salad.  

Something she must have dished up for many Lenten meals.

She probably did use imported Italian tuna packed in olive oil.

Well, whoopee for her.

Not everybody has Carmela's 'resources'.



Back to eating off the hump.

Our waists will be slimmer and our shelves will be clearer.





We knew it was Lent when Ma dished up more soups.

A Late Lent - Being 60 (week 45 - by Margaret Ullrich)

Here we go... another Lent.It's a bit late this year.Easter's not until April 24.A week before my 61st birthday.
It's a little weird having Easter and my birthday so close together.Lent is a time to take stock, to make changes in one's life.The original time to make resolutions.To see the 'Big Picture'.This year it's a little bit more.A last minute wake up call before another birthday comes.
I

Carmela Soprano's Italian Tuna Salad using Canned Tuna

Last week I prepared Carmela Soprano's Veal Rollatini with Peas.





I know... 

it was a bother to make and the vegetarians in the family were giving you The Look.


The Look that Paulie Walnuts gives on a bad day.

A bad day for someone else.

You felt like you were Big Pussy on the boat ride.

The non-return boat ride.



Well, so much for the fancy shmancy dinners.



Last Wednesday was Ash

Anna Sultana's Maltese Bragoli, Beef Olives with Tomato Sauce with Peas, Maltese Style

On Saturday I posted Carmela Soprano's Veal Rollatini with Peas.  

The whole idea was: take a bland piece of meat and wrap it around something with a bit more flavor.



Okay... everybody, including Maltese, has been doing something like that for a long time.

If you're on a budget, it's called "stretching".



Most people don't use meat for a stretcher.

That's kind of like gilding the gold.

Charlie Sheen of Winnipeg - Being 60 (week 44 - by Margaret Ullrich)

Things have settled down to a nice quiet routine in our cul de sac.
A comes after work and does a bit of cleanup, with a friend's help.He spent his first night alone in his house last night.He's keeping to himself, not dropping by to say hi or to chat, as he used to do.
Well, to be honest, nobody's in any rush to chat with him, either.

I mean, it's one thing watching the goings-on of Charlie

Carmela Soprano's Veal Rollatini with Peas / Chicken Pork Rolls

Last week I prepared Carmela Soprano's Poached Chicken with Pesto, a nice simple recipe that I plan to use during the summer.  



Carmela thought it was fit for a bride.  

I don't think so.

I'm thinking more something for a casual get together.



To be honest, I can't picture Carmela making poached chicken for a wedding.

Well, maybe for Janice.

Definitely not for Meadow.





Okay... this